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A new developer diary, hosted by Chris Watters of Ubiblog, talks with members of the development team at Ubisoft Singapore about the upcoming pirate game.

As we know from the E3 reveal,Skull & Bones takes place in the Indian Ocean and the player will be a pirate ship captain looking to create a massive fleet of ships to follow them in looting and pillaging.

The game, inspired by the ship piloting in Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, is purely a multiplayer title, featuring PvP combat between players for dominance over the seas and multiplayer modes and battles, including the 5 v 5 Loot Hunt mode shown in the Ubisoft trailer. Players can tackle the game solo, if they wish, but it is designed for a shared-world experience similar to For Honor.

Players will only control the helm of the ship, not the individual pirates on board. Several different ship types will be available, from fast and light sloops to larger frigates, and each will have different strengths and weaknesses, weapons, and uses while on the open seas.

The big selling point for Skull & Bones is the wind, according to creative director Justin Farren. “The pivotal breakthrough for the experience of navigational combat in Skull & Bones is using the wind and the ocean itself.” stated Farren. “For us, wind is that tactical layer that lays on top of our systemic ocean. So wind is not just a navigation tool, it’s how you assess the situation.”

The wind can be used offensively to raid ships, or defensively to slow their own assaults. The wind also helps with escapes and maneuverability, so keeping track of the position and direction of the wind is vital to your success in Skull & Bones.

Ubisoft hints at different factions being part of the game, including the Pirate Hunters, a sort of reactionary force that the world employs to take down pirate ships. Farren notes that the hunters are designed to be a formidable force, so players looking to take them in a fight need to have a coordinated assault with multiple players to take them on.

Sadly, no mention of the giant kraken at the end of the stinger trailer, although that may a feature saved for another time.

Skull & Bones is scheduled for a 2018 release for the PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

What are your thoughts on Skull & Bones? Leave your comments below and make sure to check out all of our E3 coverage at our E3 coverage hub.

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A game playing, college teaching, erudite-minded scholar who happens to write some articles every so often.
Have worked as a journalist, critic, educator and blogger for over five years now, with articles published (as user editorials) on Game Revolution and Giant Bomb as well as a contributor for the websites Angry Bananas and Blistered Thumbs. Now making TechRaptor my home.